Acts 8:26-40

In this passage, a familiar pattern is once again shown: The Word goes out and God brings people in. Despite tough and unlikely circumstances, God was still expanding His kingdom - just like He still does today in touch circumstances.

God orchestrates situations

When Philip was asked to go to Gaza, he simpley obeyed. Despite the long journey this would have been, he trusted that God had something in mind for him there.

On they way he met the Ethiopian. What were the chances of this? Not only did Philip meet another traveller, but it was someone who was reading the Word of God and who needed help to understand it. There is no doubt that God was at work there.

God told Philip to leave the vibrant ministry in Samaria to serve on man's needs. God always sees the bigger picture - this man may have taken the gospel back to Africa where a new church movement could grow. Do not resist God's call - even if He is calling you to something that doesn't seem so important.

Jesus in the Scriptures

The Ethiopian must have been an eager biblical scholar. He had a private copy of Isaiah 53, which was hard to come by. But despite his eagerness he still didn't understand what he was reading. Philip knew how to connect the dots from the OT scripture to Jesus. This is an important knowledge to have - A lot of Jesus' purpose on Earth would not make sense without knowing the backstory of God's people and His world.

Nothing can prevent salvation

Whilst this Ethiopian was a gentile and from a foreign land, there was nothing that could stop him being saved. All it takes is understanding the gospel, agreeing with it, and trusting it and Jesus as a result. The Ethiopian did all these, and so there was nothing to stop him publicly showing that through baptism.